novelraw Chapter 225: Open the Door (2)
Chapter 225: Open the Door (2)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Jinwoo prepared for a live broadcast at the Hologram Center.
Given that it was the Hologram Center, one might have expected elaborate preparations, but the stage that had been set up was unremarkably ordinary. In fact, it was so ordinary that it was surprising. It looked exactly like the setup from the old days when they used to broadcast from the company building, before the Hologram Center even existed.
Jinwoo sat in his chair and waited for the announced time to arrive.
"We've surpassed 120 million viewers. Servers are holding up fine."
"I never really felt the scale when I was inside Arsilan Saga, but doing a broadcast like this really makes the numbers hit different."
"The number of Heroes is nearly 200 million now, so...."
It was projected that the 200 million mark would be surpassed within the week. Soul Links continued to sell without ever going out of stock, but not just anyone could become a Hero.
Criminals with serious offenses and those with tainted souls were restricted from accessing the system. One might have expected backlash, but there was none. A subtle magical mechanism had been put in place that simply reformed them into better people.
Earth's seedy underworld feared FS Games and the Soul Link more than anything. Once someone became a Hero of Arsilan, they received protection from Arsilan's chief deity. The Heroes themselves were unaware of this, but the big players in the underworld had learned it the hard way.
Eight o'clock arrived, and the broadcast began.
"Hello, everyone. This is Lee Jinwoo. It's been a while since we've met through a broadcast like this."
-All hail the Creator God!
-Big announcement incoming, right?
-Why the sudden broadcast? Is it the Episode 6 reveal?
-Is this because of the protests?
The chat scrolled by in a blur. The Magic Tower filtered out only the important messages and displayed them on the hologram screen.
"Haha, nothing big is coming. As I mentioned in the notice, this is just a casual chat broadcast. It has nothing to do with the protests in Arsilan."
-Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies!
-Who believes that?
-You're such a smooth liar lmao
Even though Jinwoo had personally stated it was just a casual chat broadcast, the Heroes refused to believe him.
Jinwoo smirked and then proceeded to conduct what was genuinely a casual chat broadcast. Of course, he had also prepared a few things as a smokescreen.
"Shall we talk about Episode 5? You all truly were incredible. I never expected you'd actually reach Arsilan's Regeneration Ending."
When Jinwoo snapped his fingers, an Information Window appeared.
The Information Window displayed the Lord of Despair, and below it, numerous ending routes branched out with arrows. The probability of reaching each ending was listed.
It was an analysis based on the situation at the time.
-Arsilan Preservation Ending? 65%.
-Destruction Ending is 21%....
-There's a Fusion Ending too, and an Exodus Ending.
The Regeneration Ending that Arsilan had achieved was a miraculous ending whose probability couldn't even be displayed as a number. A very thin line connected to the Lord of Despair began to glow as it traced downward to the very bottom. It pierced through the countless endings and shone the brightest of all.
"For this brilliant light to bloom, countless coincidences and connections had to come together. Every single one of your choices gathered to create an enormous miracle."
This, at least, was not a performance but genuine sincerity and truth.
The Heroes had grown.
The boy who once seemed young and immature had become a fine young man, standing by Jinwoo's side and protecting Arsilan once more.
"I actually started this broadcast to have a light chat about the aftermath, but since so many of you seem to be expecting something, let me show you a few of the endings."
Jinwoo selected one of the endings.
It was the "Exodus Ending."
A video appeared on the Information Window the Heroes were watching.
The Wedge sent by the Lord of Despair descended. Though the Wedge that broke through the barrier had been heavily damaged, it was not completely destroyed. It crushed the Heroes and reached the core, creating massive fissures across all of Arsilan.
-Holy crap.
-The entire planet is cracking apart.
-No....
Many Arsilanians and demons lost their lives in the process. Leon and the Heroes combined their strength to drive the Lord of Despair beyond the dimensions, but Arsilan, having lost its core, was dying.
The Heroes used the Authority they had gained from Arsilan Defense to barely repair the core. But even that was just buying time. The Authority from Arsilan Defense gradually faded and could never be used again.
Arsilan's atmosphere evaporated, the weather turned drastically cold, and all life began to perish.
Leon made his decision with an anguished expression.
There was no choice but to migrate everyone to another field through the Dimension Gate. Arsilan Saga transformed into a journey to build a new homeland after losing their original one. However, the Lord of Despair, having recovered his Authority, relentlessly pursued them.
-That's just despair.
-Sad ending....
-That's literally a factory reset. Hard reset, damn
Jinwoo showed several endings.
The "Fusion Ending" was one where the Wedge of Erosion fused with the core and the Lord of Despair took root there, sparking an endless great war. The "Preservation Ending" was one where they succeeded in defeating the Lord of Despair, but Arsilan remained as it was with its core exposed.
-This looks insanely real though. Why is it so vivid?
-It's like someone went there with a camera and filmed it.
-So this is what they prepared.
-Yep, this IS the big one.
Leon's grief-stricken expression, Ella shedding tears, Helby's fury, and the suffering Arsilanians.
The footage itself was so vivid it was as if that world truly existed. The chat even went silent for a moment.
"Thank you for protecting Arsilan. You all truly worked hard."
Jinwoo bowed his head.
"Now then, let me go over the upcoming events and update details."
-Ooh!
-Events!
-Now THAT'S the big one!
-All hail the Creator God!
-lmao he said it was just a casual chat, lies as usual ㅋㅋ
The chat erupted in cheers.
He hadn't revealed the next episode, but the volume of updates was massive and the events were plentiful. Jinwoo explained the content that would be introduced in Levannas and new territories.
-Oh, that's a lot of content.
-And this ISN'T Episode 6?
-The events alone are festival-tier though?
Quite a bit of time passed as he explained the updates.
Jinwoo observed the mood in the chat. He could see it being colored with excitement and anticipation.
"Well then, I'll wrap up this broadcast here..., oh! I almost forgot. I've prepared gifts as well."
-How do you have anything left after giving away so much?
-All hail the Creator God!
-He really is just giving everything away.
-But we totally saw that coming!
-ㅋㅋ obviously right?
As always, Jinwoo pretended to wrap up and then showered them with generous gifts. Even the protesters seemed satisfied enough to quiet down. However, there were still quite a few chat messages mentioning Love & Friendship: Heart-Pounding Sion Academy.
"That's everything I had prepared. Thank you for watching."
Jinwoo delivered his closing remarks.
Some Heroes looked disappointed, but the overall mood was one of satisfaction.
Everything up until now had been nothing more than a curtain, a setup for the performance.
The real broadcast was just beginning.
'Well then....'
Just as Jinwoo was bowing deeply to the Heroes,
FWOOOSH!
The space behind Jinwoo rippled, and a golden light shimmered. Even then, Jinwoo acted as though nothing was happening.
-???
-Huh?
-What's going on?
-Ella-nim?
-It's Ella-nim!
Golden light burst forth as Ella appeared. The chat went into a frenzy at Ella's sudden entrance. Jinwoo pretended to only just now notice Ella's presence, looking to the side with a startled expression. The staff played along by murmuring amongst themselves, adding to the sense of immediacy.
Ella looked at Jinwoo with an urgent expression.
"Something terrible has happened!"
"Wh-what is it?"
Jinwoo stole a quick glance at the chat reactions, then shot to his feet with a look of feigned shock.
"I've discovered Dimensional Rifts deep within Arsilan! They're expanding!"
"Deep within...."
"In the area that was regenerated."
Ella was a remarkably good actress.
Jinwoo, needless to say, was even better. Having run Arsilan Saga and constantly performed improvisational acting, he now had greater acting skills than anyone on Earth.
Jinwoo looked at the camera.
"I have a hunch about what this might be, but I should go confirm it myself. Ella-nim, would you lead the way?"
"Yes, let's move right away!"
"Ah, hold on a moment."
Jinwoo pointed at the camera with his finger.
"We're live right now."
"A broadcast? Oh! The Heroes are watching! Hello, everyone!"
Ella smiled brightly and waved to the Heroes. The Heroes returned her greeting, but confusion still filled the chat. They simply couldn't keep up with the situation.
But Jinwoo gave them no time to think. At Jinwoo's signal, Ella released a burst of Sacred Power, bathing the surroundings in brilliant light.
At that moment, the hologram system activated and transformed the environment. It was staged to look as though they had teleported through space.
The surroundings turned pitch dark, with nothing visible.
FLASH!
When Ella extended her hand, golden orbs of light rose into the air and illuminated the area.
This place resembled an enormous cavern deep underground. It had been rendered using the full technological capability of the Hologram Center, making it indistinguishable from reality.
"Heroes, please come along. Summoning you here physically right away would be too much, but I should be able to let you dwell within my Authority."
As Ella said this and extended her hand, an orb of light appeared behind her, casting its glow on the ground. At that moment, an Information Window appeared before the Heroes who had been watching from Arsilan.
[Would you like to dwell within Ella's Authority and join them?]
When the Heroes accepted, their vision blurred and they were transported behind Ella. To be precise, the setting was that only their consciousness had been moved.
-Ooh!
-What the?
-What kind of production value is this?
-Insane....
Countless Heroes moved behind Ella, but since the spaces overlapped, only about a hundred could be in one location at a time. The Heroes' bodies flickered with a blue glow, and they could not touch any objects, as if they were ghosts. This was naturally because it was a hologram, but it fit perfectly with the premise that only their consciousness had been summoned.
-Excuse me, wasn't this supposed to be a casual chat broadcast?
-A massive event just started out of nowhere though?
-I can't even keep up with what's happening.
-Just enjoy the ride!
Confusion was everywhere, but the atmosphere wasn't just good, it was explosive!
With a large-scale event suddenly unfolding, the excitement was impossible to contain. Rather than just watching through a broadcast, moving alongside Jinwoo and Ella as if they were on an actual quest was thrilling beyond belief.
The Heroes couldn't leave the range of light Ella had created, but they could vividly feel the atmosphere of the scene.
As they walked forward, a vast open space appeared.
-What's that?
-Rifts? But they feel different from the Dimension Field rifts?
-Something about them looks deeper.
Cracks ran through the space as if it had shattered in multiple places. The rifts seen in the Dimension Gate's fields had Erosion visible inside them, but the rifts before them now shimmered with a blue light.
"The Dimensional Rifts are multiplying."
"Yes. The Lord of Despair was a being powerful enough to open the Great Rift and connect dimensions to one another. We managed to stop the Wedge, but its aftershock shattered Arsilan's Dimensional Wall, and now multiple dimensions have become connected to Arsilan."
Ella explained.
The Lord of Despair was the very being who had created the Great Rifts across the various fields. And that same Lord of Despair had poured immense Authority into forging the Wedge and attacking Arsilan. They had managed to fend it off, but the Dimensional Wall that had enveloped Arsilan had collapsed.
That was the setting, at least.
"Did you already know about this?"
When Jinwoo didn't seem particularly surprised, Ella tilted her head and asked, reacting to his composure.
"Yes, Ella-nim. That is, in fact, why I conducted the test."
Jinwoo nodded as he answered, then shifted his gaze to the Heroes.
"Given the situation, I have no choice but to come clean. I'll tell you the truth. The various endings I showed you today were actually footage observed from Parallel Worlds. I observed them through the Dimension Gate."
-Oh, so that's the lore?
-Great production!
-Suddenly just shoving the blue pill down our throats.
The red pill and the blue pill were from the movie The Matrix.
If the red pill was the one that revealed the truth of the world, the blue pill was the opposite concept. Jinwoo was currently force-feeding the Heroes the blue pill wholesale.
"This largest Dimensional Rift has been under observation by the heavens as well. When we examined what was inside, we discovered a unique dimension that had broken away from the Parallel Worlds. That was the very dimension where we sent the Heroes for the test."
-Sion Academy?
-Ah! So the 3,000 Heroes were....
-They were like a survey team.
The Heroes began to naturally accept the new lore.
"Yes, not test subjects but a survey team, as the sett..., ahem, my apologies. It seems the shock of suddenly revealing all this has flustered me."
-I didn't hear anything! Try that line again!
-It's not a setting! It's the truth! Stay immersed!
-Creator God seems to be breaking character. Focus, please!
The Heroes reacted strongly to Jinwoo's deliberately dropped slip. These little details for calibrating immersion were important.
The Heroes were delighted by Jinwoo's flustered appearance. Seeing the man who always presented a flawless image make a mistake felt refreshingly novel.
Ella looked at Jinwoo with an expression of great surprise.
"I thought it was a virtual space you created, but it was an actually existing place."
"Th-that's correct."
Jinwoo composed his expression and approached the largest Dimensional Rift.
"You will be able to see innumerable fractured worlds. Shattered fragments of Parallel Worlds... those fragments are connected to Arsilan and sustained through it. Endlessly splitting apart. It seems like a world that the Lord of Despair broke and shattered."
The Heroes knew full well that all of this was staging and lore. But having it laid out like this pulled them in so completely that it almost felt real. The happiest of all were the 3,000 Heroes who had participated in the test.
It isn't a game.
It's part of Arsilan Saga. Which means it's a third life!
-Miel...! Miel was real!
-Senior..., sob!
-Send us! Send us there right now!
Jinwoo bowed his head to the Heroes.
"I apologize for disguising it as a game. It was a device meant to help you immerse comfortably. We attempted it because it was something we could intervene with from Arsilan. Since it was a world destabilized into fragments, we were able to forcibly inject various information into it."
-Great lore..., no, production, no, truth!
-Chills.
Since the lore had been added on the fly, it didn't flow perfectly seamlessly, but it was fairly convincing nonetheless. Jinwoo entered the Dimensional Rift together with Ella. The Heroes naturally followed along.
Sion Academy and the city spread out below them.
Beyond the city, Alusion was visible, but it was cut off as if trapped behind glass. And beyond that, there was nothing but black, empty space.
The peaceful scenery no longer existed. The world was crumbling.
"This is Sion Academy three years from now. The timeline belonging to this Fragmented World ends here."
The countless people in the city froze in place and turned to monochrome. The same happened to the students of Sion Academy. They no longer moved at all, as if completely frozen.
The world had ended.
-No....
-What a hopeless situation.
-Don't let this happen!
Ella sank into sorrow.
She looked at the Heroes and clasped her hands together as if in prayer, forming light between them.
"That place was once part of Arsilan too. If you, the Heroes, can deliver your light to it, then perhaps... a miracle may occur."
-We can save them!
-Hell yeah, that's what being a Hero is about!
-AHHH! Send us there right now!
At Ella's words, the Heroes saw hope.
Jinwoo stepped back out of the Dimensional Rift. At that moment, countless rifts began appearing, dominating the space.
"Parallel Worlds, Fragmented Worlds, and unknown dimensions whose true nature even we cannot identify. Even our technology cannot easily analyze them. That is why we wish to seek Earth's help."
Earth's help?
The Heroes had no idea what he meant.
"We are recruiting various companies to explore these dimensions together. Please check Arsilan Worlds."
-Dimension exploration? Recruiting companies?
-Huh?
-I don't understand?
-A posting just went up on Arsilan Worlds.
The Heroes checked Arsilan Worlds.
It was an announcement recruiting Second Parties for FS Games.
By becoming a Second Party, companies could receive technical support from FS Games and produce virtual reality games to be serviced within Arsilan Saga!
-Insane....
-Wow! So that's how they're opening things up.
-All hail the Creator God!
-The Creator God reviving the entire gaming industry....
-So THAT'S why he said countless dimensions, unknown dimensions.
-Wow! With this setup, any kind of dimension could show up and it wouldn't be weird.
The moment the announcement dropped, countless game studios that had been stuck in a slump went into a frenzy.
Three years since Arsilan Saga was unveiled.
Games across every platform, PC, console, and mobile, had been on a steady decline. They managed to scrape by with some revenue on the Arsilan Worlds gaming platform, but the future looked bleak. Predictions estimated that 70% of game companies would be gone within two years.
But now, by becoming a Second Party, they could join Arsilan Saga. Stock prices of game studios that had been plummeting toward rock bottom began surging again!
"It was supposed to be a casual chat broadcast, but an unexpected incident led me to reveal some heavy truths."
Jinwoo let a smirk slip before hurriedly correcting his expression.
-Shameless.
-Your acting's a little rough around the edges.
-Just go with it! If the Creator God says so, then that's how it is!
-Does this count as part of an Episode?
Having read the chat, Jinwoo paused for a moment of silence before looking at the Heroes.
"It will not be included in the main Episodes. As for the title...."
He already had a title in mind.
"Arsilan Saga Episode Side Story."
Arsilan Saga Episode Side Story was revealed for the very first time!
Side Story 1 was the afterlife that Heroes reached after death, so technically the proper title would be Side Story 2, but he didn't bother making that distinction.
Every one of those countless rifts would become a dimension built as part of Arsilan Saga Episode Side Story.
Just as Erosion had crossed over from other dimensions, our Heroes too would experience various dimensions through games. And they would grow even stronger.
"Once the Sion Academy dimension has been stabilized a bit more, I will allow open beta..., er, trial entry."
The big one had arrived.
And it wasn't just big.
A nuclear bomb that would shake the entire Earth had been dropped!